Culling-shears



(No Model.)

J. NEFF, JI'.

GULLI'NG SHEARS. N0.352,56o. Patented, N0v.16,1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NEFF, JE., or PULTNEY, NEW YORK:

CU LLI'NG-SH EA RS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,560. dated November 16, 1886I Appncaticnleanugusten,1884. serial No. 141,178. (No'modei.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN NEFF, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Pultney, in the county of Steuben and State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvenients in Calling-Shears; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description ofthe invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in culling-shears; and the object is to improve the construction of such shears so as to facilitate their operation, that they are not liable to get out` of Order, that they can be more easily manipulated, and will be always ready for instantaneous use.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction ofcertain details and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and more specifically pointed outin the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

Like letters indicate like parts in the different figures ofthe drawings. in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved culling-shears. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an edge view of one ofthe blades. Fig. iA is a cross section on line x w.

In the accompanying drawings, A and B are the two blades of the shears, made, preferably, of the form shown, and are riveted or otherwise secured' to the handles C and D. These handles are made hollow or semicireular in form, as shownin cross-section in Fig. 4. This is done partly to make them lighter and save material, while at the same time to give them a strong form and furnish a space for the spring, hereinafter referred to. The two blades are jointed together, as at c, so as to form a pivot, upon which they move.

OneA of the handles Gis provided with a projecting lug, c, into .which-a stud or pin, d, is

screwed or otherwise secured, and to said stud is attached a spring, E. rlhis spring at one end`is coiled around and secured to said stud,

tom of said handle when both handles are pressed together. The handles are by means of this spring kept-constantly extended, and must be pressed together by the hand during 'the operation of cutting, and during use are therefore always open, and do not require the action of opening the same. The spring is preferably made flat, so as to form a better bearing-surface, and it fits against the lower side ofthe handles. Y

The handles may be made of malleable or cast iron, brass, composition, or other material, and the blades of steel, or steel and iron combined, and they are arranged so that they can be readily removed and replaced by new ones in case they are worn out.

The many advantages of my improved culling-shears will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, and among them may be mentioned their great simplicity and cheapness; that they are not liable to get out of order; that they are always ready for use and avoid the necessity of opening them, asthey are opened by the spring and kept dist-ended; the parts can easily be replaced when worn out or broken, and they canbe easily repaired or sharpened. By making the blades pointed it is much easier to gain access between grapes, owers, leaves, or other narrow places-or objects.

I am awarethatsheep-shears have been made with handles of sheet metal struck up in concavo-convex form, and do not broadly claim suchconstruction; but in my invention one side of one of the handles, which,'as before stated, may be either cast or struck up in concavo-convex form, is provided with an extension or lug for the attachment of a pin,to which a coiled spring is connected, and the pivoted ends of each of the handles are peculiarly formed, in order that one shall not interfere with the other when in operation.

Each of the handles C D, by reason of their concave form, embraces the blade, so as to reenforce the same along its heel, thereby relieving the rivets which secure the blades,and the concave or U-shaped end of each handle acts as a stop for the opposite blade when the blades are opened by the action of the spring E.

Having thus described my invention, what IOO I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. Ina pair of shears, the combination ofthe thereto the blade, the concavo-conv'ex hanconcavo-convex handle C, having secured Within its cavity the blade B, the conCavo-convex handle D, having secured Withinits cavity the blade A, and the pivot a, passing through the blades, said blades being re-enforced at their heels opposite the attaching-rivets, 'and the ends of said handles acting as stops, substantially as specified.

2. In a pair of shears,the combination of the concav'o convex' handle C, having secured dle D,- having secured thereto the blade A, the pivot a, passing through the blades, the handle D having the cnt-away portion or recess 15 e', and the spring E, substantially as speciied.

In testimony whereof I hereby ax my signature in presence of vtwo Witnesses.

JOHN NEFF, JR. Y Witnesses:V i A. H. DENNIsToN, W. D. DENNIsToN. 

